First indie band?

Question

Need to ask, which band was the first TRUE indie band? I've always said Joy Division were, but a recent NME article seems to think that indie is only about 20 or so years old.
When I say indie I mean raw, meaningful music, not bad punk rip-offs or pop trying to be indie.

Answer 1

Indie came into force in the 1980s, and it refers not to the type of music, but the fact that the band were signed to an 'indepedent' record label, as opposed to the big labels. Whilst some may argue that the Beatles set up Apple as an independent label, this is not really fitting for the ethos.
Joy Division were 'indie' being on the Manchester Factory Label, which came more to prominence when Mr Curtis died and the band relaunched as New Order, gaining substantial chart success. In the 80s there were 2 principle types of indie label, the indie-sound that you refer to, and also the indie-dance labels that were the mainstay of the latter 80s Rave scene.
Principle indie labels that I can remember, as an ex1980s DJ in Manchester and then Newcastle-upon-Tyne, are 4AD, Merciful Release, Creation, Stiff, Def Jam and many more.
4AD not only had numerous artists such as Dead can Dance & the Cocteau Twins, but the owner used to regularly get members of these bands to collaborate, hence the Colourbox and ARKane becoming MARRS who had the no.1 'Pump Up The Volume', and also the assorted music and line-ups of 'This Mortal Coil'. Creation gave us 'The House of Love' and 'Primal Scream', and Merciful Release 'the Sisters of Mercy' and 'the March Violets'. Unfortunately, the big labels bought up the smaller labels during the late 80s.
The media started to reuse the term in the 90s to describe such bands as Blur & Oasis, who were on major labels, hence the invention of Britpop. The answerrer who tells you indie was in the 90s, and the NME are talking rubbish, trust me I was there (drunk and drugged up, but still there).
You are correct, it started in the 70s, and in the context of the 'indie-sound', you would be hard to find someone who pre-dated Joy Division, except perhaps Siouxsie & the Banshees.

Answer 2

During the 60's the velvet underground was considered to be the first independent band but during the 70s punk had become the music of choice, many bands like the clash started creating radion friendly albums which then brought us into "college rock". Many of those bands became popular, the powers-that-be at the college radio stations became a little bitter that "their bands" were taken away and given to the masses. They reacted by going a little harder and a little darker (a la Nirvana). That's when college music started to become known as "alternative." Again, the general idea was that it was an alternative to say, Tiffany or Bon Jovi or what you might hear on the radio (notice the pattern?).In the early '90s, Nirvana released Nevermind. As a result, alternative launched its own radio format, and paradoxically became mainstream. So the bands who were still an alternative to something that was getting airplay became "indie rock."
I couldn't tell you the first band ever but I do agree that joy division has inspirired a lot of current bands, but so have many other early indie bands. If i could take a guess it would be maybe Husker du, or Stone roses.

Answer 3

It's the late great Smiths. It's true "indie" has only been about since 1982 - the proper stuff that you're on about. The Smiths were on an independent label - Rough Trade and the records were disributed via an indie outlet.
And of course, no-one wrote raw soulful songs full of energy and emotion like Morrissey and Johnny Marr. I defy anyone to listen to "I know it's over" or "there is a light that never goes out" and not be genuinely moved. That's proper indie for you - music that moves you, whether you hit the charts or not!

Answer 4

your right , the sound of joy division is inspirational all over the music scene with the bands, the police where a band,what category would you put them in ,indie didn't exist in the 80,s unless . Ive just had a conversation with my boyfriend about the 80,s and indie car racing might of existed in America ,but music is music and it finds its own category. not the money men making a name up for the fan base ,find what indie means in the dictionary. it might mean false pretences.

Answer 5

First of all, let's talk about the true meaning of "Indie"

"Indie" is short for Independent - independent as opposed to the mainstream.

Music - generally music on the radio is "mainstream". It's usually Top 40 or "Pop" music - which is short of "Popular" and whose producers are major companies like Sony Records.... true "Indie" bands would be like "Quicksand" or "Minor Threat"... bands that are on "Indie" music labels (another term for music companies), like Equal Vision Records or Trampoline Records...

So, it's not about the grit or sound so much, because, true "Indie" bands are simply on Indepedant record labels... and they would not be picked up by those labels if they were punk rip-offs....

But also you must consider Brittain vs. USA.

Bands like Minor Threat (who many consider the first Indie bands in the US) will themselves tell you that the Bad Brains were the essence of punk and the first true Indie band that started a revolution of punk bands...

In the UK - or Europe - you had bands like The Obsessed or even the Clash was before a lot of other bands... that's a tough one.

Answer 6

Guided by Voices is a quite reliable band. My widespread will be: The Shins My Morning Jacket Andrew poultry Honerable Mentions Band of Horses Vampire Weekend The Strokes Sleepercar The Coral Badly Drawn Boy Beirut Peter Bjorn and John The carry secure

Answer 7

Personally I consider the smiths to be the first indie group. I see the group associated with indie, trying to emulate Morrissey during his time with the Smiths. They were completely against the pop groups like the Duran Durans of the world

Answer 8

They classify it differently than you. Donovan, for instance, has songs like "Legend of a Girl Child named Linda" which could be passed off as a good indie song in today's world -- even a big influence on Andrew Bird's recent style of music -- but was made more than 20 years ago.

Answer 9

at the height of the indie scene when it all went madchester the biggest band around was James not to many people think of them like that.seeing as the stone roses, charlatans ,primal scream were a lot more sought after in the media

Answer 10

i think joy division was definitely one of the first. i always consider The Smiths indie-type music. indie-kids love em, indie-bands love em.